Condos

Good design can be undermined by clutter

Keeping it simple gives home clean, elegant feel

The house benefits from well-placed blue accents in the shutters and the door, a minimal choice of pink and purple blossoms, and a repetition of plants.

Photograph by: Suzanne Rowe
, Montreal Gazette

A very interesting person from Kahnawake asked me to take a look at his house.

Because of his great admiration for beauty and design, I wanted to give his home a clean and elegant feel.

I appreciate the creative intention and the skill it took to decorate the railing in the fashion of the rays of the sun but since the new door has more of a formal style, I've opted to go in this direction.

The dark contrasting trims throughout the facade, around the windows, the different angles on the banister and the top of the posts contribute to a busy and distracting result.

A simple and understated vertical white rail and a graphic architectural detail above and between the columns embellish without being too overwhelming.

A medium earthy grey in a matte finish for the Cape Cod siding and the lattice under the level of the floor of the gallery would be a nice backdrop for the new touch of colour obtained with the light greyish blue shutters. They should be the same palette of tints as the roof but lighter so the contrast with the new grey siding is now softer. A darker version of that colour in a semi-gloss finish would be used to paint the front door and the two window panels on each side.

Someone once said: "Design is everything." I partially agree but good design can be easily cancelled by clutter. Several tiny ornaments placed here and there and drying carpets in the front strays from effectively showcasing the home. Two white chairs and a small table or a beautiful white bench is plenty for this size porch.

The existing 'L' shape walkway could be extended with a path going towards the street. Consequently, the new formed triangular shape would host a miniature lilac on a stem or a Barberry Pink Glow shrub. Both of these could also coexist but only if the stem of the tree is tall enough and the lower shrub is trimmed regularly low and wide so that they never touch.

Depending on the budget, different choices of borders are available to redefine the driveway and to keep the lawn from stepping onto the other vegetation of the walkway. Natural grey flagstones are randomly installed and levelled on a bed of rock dust. As ground cover, a few low Thyme Serpolet planted in small hole with a handful of soil between some rocks will gladly flower, spread and fill the six-inch gaps between the big stones. This perennial doesn't mind being stepped on once in a while and will even release its sweet scent when brushed against.

The Buxus hedge in front of the porch and the Euonymus on each side of the stairs are very low maintenance and will be the perfect size when mature. They will also provide an ideal background for the ever flowering perennial hedge around the pathway which will adopt burgundy leaf coloration in autumn.

A few well placed blue accents in the shutters and the door, a minimal choice of pink and purple blossoms, a repetition of plants in a line, a neatly kept landscaping and a happy family is all this house needs.

An inspired phrase from Kim Acosta was shared by the owner: "It's a journey of a million cheers, a journey of a million tears. It's the gift we were given, the life we are living ."

Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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